Shloka 17
कुन्ती-विलापः तथा गोविन्द-आश्वासनम्
Kuntī’s Lament and Govinda’s Consolation
अथ द्रोणं सबाह्लीकं सपुत्रं च यशस्विनम् | कृपं च सोमदत्तं च समीयाय जनार्दन:,तत्पश्चात् जनार्दन पुत्रसहित यशस्वी द्रोणाचार्य, बाह्नीक, कृपाचार्य तथा सोमदत्तसे मिले
atha droṇaṃ sabāhlīkaṃ saputraṃ ca yaśasvinam | kṛpaṃ ca somadattaṃ ca samīyāya janārdanaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Entonces Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) fue a encontrarse con Droṇa—junto con Bāhlīka—y con el ilustre hijo de Droṇa; y también se reunió con Kṛpa y Somadatta. En el contexto del relato, el acercamiento deliberado de Kṛṣṇa a estos ancianos alineados con los Kuru subraya un esfuerzo diplomático cargado de ética: dirigirse primero a quienes portan autoridad, deber de linaje y responsabilidad marcial, antes de que el conflicto se endurezca en guerra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before resorting to force, one should engage those who hold moral and institutional authority—elders, teachers, and leaders—because their counsel and choices shape collective dharma. Kṛṣṇa’s meetings highlight responsibility: knowledge and status must be used to restrain injustice, not merely to serve factional loyalty.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa approaches key Kuru-side figures—Droṇa (with Bāhlīka and Droṇa’s son), Kṛpa, and Somadatta—seeking audience and dialogue. This forms part of the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and alignment of influential warriors and elders.